A Shifter's Mate
by CallidoraMalfoy1228
Summary: When Draco Malfoy finds out that he's not only a Dragon Shifter but that his destined mate is Harry Potter, everything changes for the Malfoy family. Credit to BeastlyBeauty945 for the use of her character Asterion Malfoy for this story! :)
1. Chapter 1

**One**

"What in Merlin's name did you just say?"

Draco Malfoy stood in front of his father, his mouth wide open, all knowledge of Malfoy-like manner and charm completely forgotten. He seemed to remember his father speaking but was absolutely positive that he'd heard the words entirely wrong because what he'd heard couldn't possibly be true. Not even if Merlin **himself** had deemed it true would Draco ever even **consider** believing it.

A good slap to the back of his head by his Godfather, Severus Snape, brought the blonde back to his senses. Abruptly, he closed his mouth and stared wordlessly at the men standing before him. His father, sounding entirely too amused by the whole idea, repeated the same dreadful words from before and Draco wanted to cry.

"Our family is believed to be among the last known Dragon Shifter Clans in the world, Draco. You've known for some time that you would have to take a mate by Midnight on your Seventeenth birthday. I have no idea why you're acting like I just told you that you're moving to Beauxbatons this year."

Finally, Draco found his voice. "You never told me that I couldn't choose my own mate! How was I supposed to know that by _'take a mate'_ you meant soul mates?! No one ever even **thought** about mentioning that little bit of information to me, now did they?! I think not!"

Severus laughed, unable to control his amusement. To see his normally calm and collected godson throw a temper tantrum was simply too funny. Yes, he had a point but that by no means made the sight of Draco stomping his feet and shouting like a two-year-old any less hilarious. In fact, it made it even more funny.

"Draco, do quit acting like a three-year-old boy and collect yourself. This is not as big a tragedy as you make it seem. My lord, you make it seem like your entire world has just crashed down on you." Lucius said, a touch of amusement hidden in his voice.

Draco glared at his father, "I'll thank you not to judge my reactions for me Father."

At this, both Severus and Lucius lost it. Usually, mouthing off to Lucius in such a way would earn Draco a six-day grounding and a revocation of flying privileges. Today, though, it only made Lucius laugh. He remembered what it had been like at sixteen to learn that _'take a mate'_ meant soul-mate. He'd been even worse than Draco. Screaming and yelling, he'd caused such a ruckus that his father had threatened to make him sleep outside on the Quidditch field. Draco's reaction was to be expected and Lucius was just pleased that it hadn't been nearly half as bad as his own.

"I wasn't allowed to tell you specific details until three months before your seventeenth birthday, Draco. You know the rules. If I had told you, your first transformation would be ruined."

Draco sighed. "Yes well you could have given me _**some**_ warning!"

"If I would have given you any warning at all, the entire transformation would have been ruined. It is forbidden to know until three months before your seventeenth birthday."

"You have effectively ruined my life." Draco crossed his arms and stared away from the men before him, feeling like his life had just come to a close. 

"Once you've found your mate, you may change your mind on that."

"How on earth am I ever going to find my mate? I don't even know how!"

Lucius smiled at his son. "Close your eyes. Focus on your magical tether and follow it. You'll get a glimpse of your mate's most prominent feature. With your mother, it was her smile. Which I knew immediately because she was the only Ravenclaw who'd dare smile at the Malfoy heir. Not to mention the mole above her lips."

Draco rolled his eyes but followed his father's request. His tether led him to a set of eyes. Brilliant, emerald green eyes. He knew those eyes. He'd sketched them in the back pages of his journal, had stared into them tauntingly throughout his years at school. But there was something odd. How could Harry Potter be his mate? Harry was a male and it was exceedingly rare for a male dragon to mate with a male human unless the human was powerful. Which made sense, in a way, because Harry Potter was indeed quite powerful.

This posed a bit of a problem, however. Voldemort would use this against Harry. The urge to protect his mate was almost stifling at the very thought of Voldemort touching Harry. Draco opened his eyes and widened them at his father. His father was smiling at him.

"Who is it then?" Lucius asked, hoping it wasn't someone from a Dark family. If his son could be Mated with someone from a Light family, the Malfoy family could finally come out of the Dark.

"Harry Potter. I'd know those eyes anywhere."

"I'd guessed that this would happen..." Severus stated softly.

"How on earth could you have guessed who Draco's mate would be?" a new voice asked.

Draco looked around with a small smile. His older brother, Asterion, was leaning against the door to his father's study. Asterion was four years older than Draco and had been a Ravenclaw like their mother. He was the heir to the Black Estate and owned his own business on top of it. Draco, meanwhile, was heir to the Malfoy Estate and a student. A damned good one, though, Asterion bragged to anyone who would listen.

"Easily enough. I watched the way your father reacted around your mother before it was discovered that she was his mate. Draco reacted similarly around Potter."

"This...could be a very, very good thing for our family..." Lucius said, looking at Asterion.

Asterion nodded. "Father's right. With a mate as powerful as yours, we'll be safe from Him. He won't be able to stop us from changing sides. We don't have to be Dark anymore..."

"We can be ourselves. No more Evil Malfoy's." Lucius' voice was almost ecstatic.

"I didn't think of it that way..." Draco said in a soft voice.

Severus smiled. "What do we do? We need to arrange a meeting between us and Potter but I know for a fact that he's staying with the Weasley's."

Lucius grinned. "I know just what to do. Arthur and I... we used to be friends. In fact, he was my best friend. I'll write him a quick letter, explaining that I need to see him and his family as soon as possible. We will meet with them first, explain why we turned to the Dark side at all, and then we'll meet with Harry. Arthur's a good man, he believes highly in Family, he will understand."

"I'll be coming along, of course." Asterion said, standing at his full height.

"Of course. Your mother is busy today unfortunately, so we will have to do this without her."

"All right."

Lucius rushed off to send an owl to Arthur Weasley while Draco and Asterion waited with Severus. Twenty-two minutes later Lucius walked back in with a light smile on his face.

"He said he'll see us in the back garden. I think he's wary but he'll understand when he's heard our story."

"All right."

"Severus, you stay here and wait for Narcissa to return. We'll be back as soon as possible."

"I will, Lucius."

Draco went towards his older brother and Asterion held out his arm. Together, the three Malfoy's apparated into the back garden of the burrow. Awaiting them were Molly and Arthur Weasley along with their children, including Hermione Granger and Harry Potter. At the sight of Hermione, Draco heard his brother give a sharp intake of breath. Inwardly, he shrugged his shoulders. He'd find out what was so special about Hermione after their meeting, he supposed. Right now, it was time to effectively break ties with the Dark.


	2. Chapter 2

**Two**

"Lucius. Your letter sounded rather serious." Arthur said, shaking Lucius' hand.

"It is, I'm afraid. Do you remember our seventh year, when I told you we could no longer be friends?"

Arthur nodded. "Of course, I was rather astonished. You'd always said you had hated Death Eaters and then you became one. I spent weeks researching memory potions and personality changes. Nothing fit."

"That's because I haven't been under the influence of a potion or a spell. Let me tell you the background information of the year leading up to seventh before you judge me, however."

Arthur nodded. "Of course."

"My father was, as you well know, a pureblood supremacist. Because my mother would not allow him to, he had never made me become a Death Eater. She was very straight laced, you know, but Mother did not believe that muggleborns or half-bloods were really beneath us. She was a wonderful woman." Lucius blinked rapidly before continuing. "The summer before our seventh year, my mother was killed and Father gained full control of me. He declared me a Death Eater two nights after her death. I stopped being friends with you, Arthur, my best friend because I knew you would be in danger if I'd kept our friendship."

"What has changed, then? What's happened that's changed you courses? Lucius, I know you. You never do something unless you're sure it won't put anyone you care about in danger."

"For those of you that aren't aware, my family is among the last of the Dragon Shifter Clans. This means that I'm able to transform into a dragon at will. Before our seventeenth birthday, we find our Mate. It's a process that's easy enough but our mate determines our future. My Mate was Narcissa Black. She came from a Dark family, though she wasn't dark herself. My son has found his mate and, though his mate is both a rare choice and rather unusual, it's given us hope."

"Wait he's not allowed to choose his own Mate?" Hermione asked.

"No. I'm not exactly unhappy with my mate, however. He's the choice I would have made for myself, to be fully honest." Draco said, voice quiet.

"Who is it?" Ron Weasley asked, voice strangely devoid of malice.

"Harry Potter." Asterion said, a lilt of teasing in his voice.

"Asterion, I'd prefer it if you'd let me tell my Mate myself." Draco said, giving his brother a dark look.

"You'd do it to me if you knew who my Mate was."

"You have no clue who your mate even is, Asterion."

"I do now."

The strange gasp his brother had given at the sight of Hermione made sense to Draco suddenly. He glanced at her, eyes wide, and then back at his brother.

"No. It isn't." He started.

"You've guessed correctly, dear brother."

"Wait a second here. We're all missing something, I believe." Harry stated, eyes wide.

Lucius smiled. "Forgive my sons. They forget their manners."

"Lucius has always been big on manners. Even in school, he was always on me about keeping my manners." Arthur said, smiling at his best friend.

"I can't believe you were friends with a Malfoy, dad."

"Lucius is and was my best friend. I knew there was a reason he was being different. I just didn't know the reason, so I went along with his act. I pretended we'd always hated each other so that he would be safe. I knew that, if he was pretending to hate me of all people, he was in danger."

Lucius smiled. "This generation of Malfoy is a good generation. Narcissa and I raised them both to be good men. They may wear a mask in public...but they are decent men."

"Which reminds me." Draco faced the Weasley family. Particularly Ron and Hermione.

"I'm sorry I was such a jerk to you all. It was just a mask. I would never really act that way."

"We believe you. And... what was that about me being your Mate?" Harry said quietly.

"Simply put, you're my mate. My soul mate. The other half of myself."

"What does it mean?"

Draco grinned. "It means you're a Dragon Shifter now, for one."

"Really?"

"Yes. You'll change with me on my seventeenth birthday."

"I didn't even realize I was gay..."

Ron snorted. "Harry, if you insist on telling such horrible lies I'm afraid I'll have to laugh."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Okay, well, maybe I did."

Asterion smiled. "Father, it seems my Mate is here as well. I saw her as I walked in."

"Ah. Which one?"

"Miss... I believe her surname is Granger."

"She does suit you, Asterion. Hermione is rather smart. Smarter than me for sure. Though she is a Gryffindor." Draco said.

Asterion smiled at her. "Pleased to make your acquaintance, Miss Granger. I am Asterion Malfoy, heir to the house Black and your mate."

Hermione blushed. "Thank you. It's nice to meet you."

Asterion stood and took her hand. "Father, I want to take her to the Manor. Show her to Severus and see if he approves."

"He'll approve, Ast. Hermione is his favorite student."

"Snape likes me?" Hermione burst out.

Draco and Asterion laughed. "Go with Ast. He'll show you. Severus is a very different man in private."

"I think I will." she said.

She hugged Ron and then Harry before letting Asterion apparate her away. Draco smiled at Harry.

"I'll take you to the Manor later. You're one of Severus' favorites as well but not because of your grades." he told him.

"I thought he hated me."

"No. He...all I can tell you is that your mum was his best friend. He couldn't hate you if he tried. He'll tell you the rest, I'm sure."

"How did you know all this?"

"He told me. Asterion and I are close with Severus. Always have been."

"I didn't even know you had an older brother, come to think of it."

Draco rolled his eyes. "A lot of people don't. Up until now, we had to act as though we weren't close in public. We had to wear what Father calls the Malfoy Mask."

"Will that change now that we're...Mated?"

Draco nodded. "We can be ourselves without fearing Voldemort too much. I mean, we'll still fear him. But we can now ally ourselves with the Light."

"How does that work?" Ron asked.

"It's simple, really. Our allegiance is tethered to our Mate. If our Mate comes from a Dark family, then our family will be Dark as well. Since my Mate is Light, our family is now Light as well."

Harry smiled a little. "To be perfectly honest, I'm not too unhappy with our situation either. I've always liked you."

Draco was astounded. "What do you mean? I'm a prat."

Harry nodded. "Yes, but you're a handsome prat."

Ron shoved Harry's shoulder. "Which made all the difference to _this_ prat."

Harry grinned. "Yeah, that's true. It did make all the difference to me."

Draco smiled. "I'm really glad you said that. I was so scared that I was going to have to use my charm and good looks to sway you. And I don't have much of either."

Ron grinned, giving a shocked sounding laugh. "I might just like this version of you." He told Draco.

Draco grinned. "Many people do. Though not all of them are pleasant people. Parkinson, for instance, is the most revolting creature I've ever met."

"Draco, be nice." Lucius chided. But it was half-hearted and Draco could see the smile in his father's eyes.

Draco grinned. "She is revolting, though." He said.

Lucius nodded. "As was her mother. Lucinda Parkinson was originally Lucinda Goyle, Gregory Goyle Senior's younger sister. She had a massive crush on me all throughout school. Thankfully, our parents detested each other and her father wouldn't hear of even approaching mine for a marriage contract."

Draco hummed. "Did she follow you everywhere and call you by horrid nicknames? Pansy calls me Drakey. Blaise thinks it's the most hilarious thing ever."

Lucius shuddered. "Lucinda liked to call me Lucy. Until Narcissa and I fell in love, at least. Your mother caught her calling me Lucy and stepped in, thank Merlin. Lucinda got out of the hospital wing three days later and wouldn't even look at me for fear that Narcy would attack her again."

Harry smiled. "I'll scare Parkinson away for you, Draco. I've never liked the bitch in the first place."

Draco smiled at his Mate. "You're a Saint." He said, causing Ron to laugh.

"Is this what it means to be in love, then?" he asked.

Harry rolled his eyes. "Oh come off it Ron. You've been after Daphne Greengrass since third year."

Draco looked to Ron, who was now blushing as dark as his hair. "Daphne wouldn't be revolted by you, you know. She might say yes if you asked her to Hogsmeade one weekend. Just…don't take her to Madam Puddifoot's. She thinks that place is horrible." He told the redhead.

"Really?" Ron looked surprised.

"Really. As beautiful as Daphne is, she's also very down to earth. She had a thing with Blaise last year but they ended things rather early because they felt better off as friends. She'll give pretty much anyone a chance."

"You should go for it, Ron." Harry told his best friend, grinning widely.

"I think I will. Thanks Draco."

"You're welcome."

"Speaking of friends, how are your Slytherin friends going to react to this?" Harry asked Draco.

Draco smiled softly. "I only really have four friends in Slytherin, believe it or not. Blaise Zabini is actually on the side of the light. His mum passed away this summer and he took on the helm of Zabini Patriarch. He's got three younger brothers; the triplets will come to Hogwarts this year. He wrote me this summer and told me that he's already met with Dumbledore. He's joined the Order of the Phoenix and will be fighting for the Light. Then we have Theodore Nott. Unlike Blaise, Theo's dad is a Death Eater. He turned seventeen already and he's staying with Blaise. He also joined the Order and he's proud of it. Bit of a bookworm but he's also a fighter. Daphne, of course. The Greengrass family is normally neutral but Alphonse Greengrass, her father, has made the decision to side with the Light this time. Daphne said he's uncertain as to whether or not he'll join the Order but she definitely plans on it. And then we have Astoria Greengrass. She's Daphne's younger sister and she's kind of everyone's kid sister. She can hold her own and she's bloody scary when she's pissed off…but we all protect her when we can. Drives her nuts."

Harry smiled. "I think I've spoken to Theo. He's the one with dark brown hair and glasses right? Kind of a jumpy little thing?"

Draco laughed at hearing Theo described that way. "Yeah. That's Theo. He's a little jumpy sometimes but he's a good guy. He can usually be found in the library, however. He's friends with Hermione as well, though I used to think that was a little weird."

"Speaking of Hermione, what's your brother like?" Ron asked.

Draco smiled at the obvious protectiveness in the redhead's voice. "He's a good bloke. Smarter than everyone else I know and he's the king of sarcasm. You also don't want to piss him off. The last person who did ended up in St. Mungo's for a week."

"Who managed to piss your brother off that much?" Harry asked, looking shocked.

Draco understood that shock. Asterion was very hard to piss off. Especially to the point where he'd attack you. Normally, he'd just give you a verbal thrashing and leave. But Marcus Flint had managed what most had always believed impossible and had been thoroughly punished for it. Draco shuddered at the memory.

"Two years ago, during the summertime, the Flints had come to visit us. Neither Mother or Father like the Flint family but they had to keep up appearances. Marcus was a few years older than me but Asterion had locked himself in the library and Father knew he was busy with pretty important things so he told me to entertain Marcus for a bit. We were playing a game of Snitch-Seek and Marcus was… bragging about something he'd done. I took offense to the idea of rape and Marcus began to berate me for it. We got into a fight and he sent a dark curse at me. I was about thirty feet in the air and I fell off my broom. Thankfully, Asterion had heard me scream and rushed to a window. He got me safely to the ground and then came outside. When I told him what Marcus had done, Asterion… well, let's just say he wasn't at all happy. He didn't even give Marcus a chance to defend himself before he started attacking him. By the time I managed to call our parents out there, Asterion had reduced Marcus to a blubbering, bleeding mess. Needless to say, Father kicked the Flint's out of the house and forbade them from returning."

Lucius glared. "Bathilda Flint tried to make me pay for her brat's medical bills. Our lawyers saw to it that we didn't pay a dime."

Harry was appalled. "I always thought that Marcus Flint was a bit of a douchebag but that's just… wrong. How could anyone rape someone?"

Draco shrugged. "Asterion went to great lengths to figure out who Marcus' victim had been so that we could help him."

"Who…who was it?" Ron asked, his voice shaky.

"Oliver Wood. Oliver was a few years older than me but he and Asterion were pretty good friends. Asterion was crushed when he found out about it. Turns out that Oliver didn't tell anyone about it. Asterion paid a private Healer to look at Oliver and make sure he was all right."

Harry shuddered. "Oliver was one of the best people I know. The very idea of someone doing…that to him is disgusting."

Draco nodded. "Thankfully, Oliver has a long term boyfriend who's been helping him through the whole ordeal."

Along the table, Percy Weasley blushed madly. "Since today seems to be the day of confessions, I'll just come out and say it. I've been dating Oliver Wood since seventh year." He said.

Molly Weasley looked up from the conversation she was currently having with Lucius and Arthur. "You'll invite him to dinner immediately." She said.

Lucius nodded. "That's a splendid idea, Molly. Why don't we host this dinner at Malfoy Manor? Not only will it give Narcy a reason to plan a party, I'll be able to speak with Percy about the business opportunity I've been looking to start."

"What sort?" Percy asked, interested immediately.

Lucius smiled. "I'm looking to build a wizarding housing complex. Complete with a shopping center and all. There is so much that needs to go into it. Asterion remembered you from school and said that you would be a good person to approach. I fear I'm not all that great at research and statistics myself."

"I'd love to speak with you about it. I'm afraid I'm growing bored at the Ministry. Their research department is sorely lacking and it's headed by Salvador Umbridge, Delores' Umbridge's older brother."

Lucius made a face. "Salvador isn't the most pleasant person around."

Harry looked at him. "Umbridge is worse." He put out his hand, showing them all the scars on the back of it. "She made me do that with something called a Blood Quill last year." He said.

Draco's face reddened furiously. "She used a Blood Quill on you?" he demanded.

Even Lucius looked a little outraged. "Those have been outlawed in Britain for the better part of a century. She should never have had access to one."

"I didn't know that." Harry said, stunned by the information.

"She did. Minister Fudge passed the law against them two years ago. Umbridge had just gotten into office when he passed it and she helped with most of the paperwork." Arthur said, glancing at Harry's hand.

Draco growled. "We've got to do something about her. She's gone too far this time. Way too far." He said.

Lucius lay a hand on his son's arm. "We'll do something but you cannot do anything rash. I know how hard it is to repress your protective instincts but you must. We cannot do anything to anger a high ranking official like Umbridge."

Draco glowered at his father. "She hurt my mate!" he said, looking once more at the scars on Harry's arm.

Harry lay a hand on his arm. "Draco, calm down. It was last year. You didn't even like me then."

Draco glared at him. "I did too! I just wasn't able to tell you because our family was still technically dark. If Voldemort were to find out that I cared about you, I would have been dead. My entire family would have been dead."

Lucius nodded. "Draco never wanted to act the way he did, Harry. It was simply necessary for our survival."

Harry stared at him. "So…you've never hated me?"

Draco rolled his grey eyes. "No, Harry. I've never hated you. Did you annoy me at times? Merlin, yes. But I never, ever hated you."

"I didn't exactly hate you either. I mean, I thought you were a bit of a bully and you made me want to hex you more often than not. But I didn't hate you."

Ron snorted. "No, you were too busy trying to not be killed by Voldemort and his goons."

"Though, to be fair, in First Year we thought it was Snape trying to kill me." Harry pointed out, causing Lucius to laugh.

"Oh wait until he finds out about that. He's going to cry with laughter." Lucius chortled.

"Why will he think that's so funny?" Harry asked.

A feminine voice answered him. "An old argument between Severus and your mother."

Turning, Draco watched his mother walk gracefully across the lawn. Behind her, Severus was walking with Hermione and Asterion. Lucius conjured a chair beside him and his wife sat down, kissing him on the cheek as she went.

Severus was rolling his eyes as he sat down. Looking at Harry he said, "Your mother was a delightful woman. Stubborn, bossy, and ridiculously intelligent but delightful."

"What was your argument about?" Harry asked, wondering how Snape – Severus – had known his mother.

"Lily, who always thought it rather hilarious that people actually feared me, once told me that she would be telling any children she would have that I was a giant teddy bear. In return, I told her – jokingly of course – that I would threaten murder on any little brats that called me a teddy bear." Severus said, a small fond smile appearing on his face.

Narcissa laughed. "Lily didn't speak to him for weeks. And when she finally did start speaking to him, she told him that if he ever so much as hinted at murdering children she would castrate his funny little ass."

Harry's eyes were wide. " **My** mother said something like that?"

Severus nodded. "Oh yes. Lily was quite the spitfire. In her death, people like to focus on her gentle, motherly side. But there was far more to Lily than that."

Lucius smiled. "He's right about that. I was a year above your parents and Severus but I remember them quite well. There was one time in particular that I always laughed at that I've longed to tell you about simply because you'll laugh."

Harry smiled, wanting to hear more about his mother. "What is it?"

"In my fourth year, your mother's third, she and James Potter did not get along."

Severus rolled his eyes. "They didn't get along until the beginning of Seventh Year, Luc."

"Quite right. Anyways, we were in the Great Hall at breakfast and Severus had joined your mother at Gryffindor table. This was their routine, of course. They would switch off days. One day they would sit at Gryffindor and the next Slytherin. James almost always had something cruel to say when they were at Gryffindor table. This day, he decided to sit right in front of Severus and taunt him. Severus had amazing control of his temper but your mother was another story. About halfway through lunch, James called Severus a Death Eater in training and infuriated your mother so much that she turned him into a girl."

Harry couldn't believe it. "She... she did what?"

"She turned him into a girl. It's a rather complex charm that Lily found in a banned book she'd confiscated from me. I was so surprised when she used it that I didn't stop staring at her all day. James was angrier at her than I've ever seen him." Severus replied, laughing.

Lucius grinned at Harry. "The charm lasted a week and your mother didn't stop smirking about it the entire time. It earned her some points with the Slytherins, I'll tell you."

Narcissa laughed. "Ravenclaw was already in awe of her. After that incident, Lily Evans was damn near a Goddess in our house."

Before Harry could reply, there was the sudden sound of apparition. Draco glanced up and saw that Albus Dumbledore stood before them, his beard blowing in the gentle breeze. What on earth did the old man want? While he respected the Headmaster, Draco did not exactly like the man. He knew that Harry had been abused and, more so, that Dumbledore himself had known about it. Not only that but there were several Slytherins who were badly abused at their homes who had gone to him for help. They were denied help from the one man who could possibly have helped them. Yes, Draco was by no means a Dumbledore fanboy. Still, he curbed his urge to hex the old man and watched him approach with a wary eye.


	3. Chapter 3

**Three**

"Severus, my boy, I need to speak with you and Mr. Potter at once." The Headmaster said gravely, eyeing the Potions Master.

Severus nodded. "Can this wait? We were in the middle of a discussion." He said.

Dumbledore shook his head. "No, this is very important."

Harry looked wary of the Headmaster. Looking at Draco, he held out his hand. "I'm not going anywhere near you without Draco present, Headmaster." He said as Draco grabbed his hand.

The Headmaster looked between them. "If you're sure you can trust him, Harry."

Draco watched Harry's green eyes harden. "I think I know who I can trust, thanks."

The Headmaster looked to Arthur Weasley. "May we make use of your shed again, please Arthur?"

Arthur nodded, a little curt. "Of course, Albus." He said.

Dumbledore led Harry, Draco, and Severus into the small shed at the corner of the yard. Stepping inside after them, he cast a privacy charm and then looked between Harry and Severus. The Headmaster seemed to be thinking very hard about something before he finally spoke in the same grave tone from before.

"I have something to tell you. Something I should have told you years ago."

Severus nodded. "Just say it, Headmaster." He said and Harry nodded, his hands tightening in Draco's.

"Before she died, Lily confided in me something of grave importance. I admit that I went against her wishes and did something truly deplorable for which I shall not ask forgiveness because it was the right thing to do."

Harry's eyes hardened again, his face turning to a stony mask. "What did you do?"

Dumbledore looked to Severus. "Do you recall the last night you spent with Lily, Severus?"

Severus nodded, his face paling. "Of course I do. It was the best night of my life."

"I need you to tell Harry about that night."

"Why?" Severus asked, his posture rigid and his voice hard.

"Because it is important." Was all Dumbledore would say.

Severus turned to Harry. "Ten months before she went into hiding with James Potter, Lily came to my home. I had recently begun to spy for the order and so she had to come in secret but she came." He sighed, covering his face with his hands. "Lily told me that she and James were getting a divorce. They'd been fighting and they were no longer happy with each other. She and I… we talked for what must have been hours. Eventually, we made love. She left that night, promising to return. When she never did, I rightly assumed that she and James had made up."

Harry looked shocked but not angry, strangely. "What does this have to do with anything Headmaster?" He asked.

"Lily had every intention of returning to Severus. But she was pregnant and I urged her to remain with James, to throw off the Dark Lord's trail for a while. She didn't like doing it, of course. But she trusted me and James agreed to help protect her and the baby. A baby that wasn't his."

Severus and Harry both looked shell-shocked now, their mouths agape. It was Severus who recovered first.

"What do you mean, Headmaster?" He asked.

"I mean to say that Harry is – and has always been – your son. I've chosen to hide it from you these past years because I knew that you would want to raise him. He had to go to his aunt and uncle, had to be raised by muggles. But those muggles are now dead at the hands of Bellatrix Lestrange and I have no other choice but to tell you the truth."

Draco expected Severus to be the one to start shouting but it wasn't. Surprisingly, it was Harry. His face red, his hand very tight around Draco's, the boy-who-lived began shouting at the top of his lungs.

"I had a father and you never told me?! You allowed me to grow up with vermin who didn't even want me when I didn't have to?! Do you know what they did to me?" He shouted.

Dumbledore stared, open mouthed, at the savior of the Wizarding World. "Harry, my boy…"

"Don't you call me that! I'm not your boy! When I was two years old, I was left hungry and filthy in the cupboard under the stairs for two days. They only gave me a bath and fed me because I wouldn't stop crying and the stink was getting to Vernon!" Harry took a breath before continuing, "At three years old, they forced me to sleep in the garage because Vernon's sister's dog needed my 'cupboard' to sleep in. At four years old, they started hitting me. With a belt and I didn't even know why I was being hit." Harry took another breath, not realizing that Severus was listening to his every word. "At five years old, they began making me cook and clean for them. I had more burn scars than any child ought to. From the ages of six to nine years old, I was locked in the cupboard more times than I ever saw the outside world. I had no light, I had no blanket or toys! And you could have stopped that. You could have given me to my real father and you didn't. You chose to let them abuse me!"

Harry broke off, unable to say any more. He curled into Draco's side, his face hidden in the blonde's shoulder. Draco cradled him close, listening to what Severus would say next. The Potions Master was calm which let Draco know that a storm was brewing. He stared at his godfather, eyes wide. He'd never seen Severus this angry before and it was slightly scary. Draco longed to call his father in, to stop whatever Severus was about to say or do. But he didn't dare move Harry.

"My son was abused and left in a situation that would have killed any muggle child. My son was kept from me against the request of his dead mother. You kept my son from me for nearly sixteen years. How dare you stand in front of us as if you're of any worth to either of us."

Dumbledore's face paled. "Severus, my boy. Don't talk like that."

Severus wrapped an arm around Harry's shoulders. "Don't tell me what to do, Albus. As of now, you can guarantee that I am no longer your employee and Harry is no longer a pupil of Hogwarts. I can almost positively guarantee you that you've lost the Weasley's, Malfoy's, and Hermione Granger. And I can also guarantee that most of my own house will be joining me. Goodbye Albus."

Gesturing to Draco to follow him, Severus swept from the shed. Though Draco was certain that something monumental had just happened, he wasn't at all certain what to make of it. What he did know is that Albus Dumbledore had just lost himself any hope of having Harry ever trust him again. Then again, he supposed the same would soon become true to a lot of people. The Weasley's, for example, had taken Harry in first. They treated him as a member of their family. When Severus and Harry told them what had happened, they would most likely do just as Severus had suggested and pull their children and support away from Hogwarts and Dumbledore.

"Severus? What's happened?" Lucius rose to his feet, eyes wide as he took in the sight of his best friend's expression.

"Sit down, Lucius. We have much to discuss." Severus said, depositing Harry in the chair closest to Draco.

"What had Professor Dumbledore done?" Ron asked, taking in the sight of his own best friend's appearance and figuring out that Dumbledore had been the culprit.

Severus explained what had just happened to them. By the end of it, Harry was once more shaking with rage and Severus' fists were clenched in suppressed anger. The Weasley's looked both horrified and angry at the story. Hermione was leaning against Asterion's side, looking close to vomiting. Draco's parents were staring, open mouthed, at Severus.

"I've made the decision to file for custody of Harry. His relatives were recently found and murdered by Bellatrix Lestrange and, seeing as how he's my son, a simple paternity potion should prove that I'm next of kin."

"What are you going to do when it comes time to send him back to Hogwarts?" Hermione asked.

Lucius shook his head. "He won't be going back to Hogwarts and neither will Draco. Not while Albus Dumbledore oversees that school. We'll send them both to Summerset Academy."

"But that's too expensive. You said you wouldn't send me there because you thought it was ridiculous to pay for the schooling." Draco said, sounding awed.

Narcissa shook her head. "I agree with your father. We'll go in the morning to see Headmistress Joanne Rowling. She's been a longtime friend of mine and we'll be able to pay for your remaining school years then."

Lucius looked to the Weasley's and Hermione. "If you'll accept, we will gladly pay admission fees so that the remaining Weasley children and Miss Granger may attend Summerset Academy."

Before Molly or Arthur could answer, Hermione spoke. "What exactly is Summerset Academy?

Narcissa smiled. "Summerset Academy is the only school of magic more prestigious than Hogwarts. It's located in Ireland in a castle quite a bit larger than Hogwarts. They offer more classes as well as the option of signing on for additional years of schooling. It was Draco's first choice but we wanted him close. Now, however, I believe it's wise to send everyone there."

"What about our friends at Hogwarts?" Harry asked, speaking up for the first time.

Lucius and Asterion glanced at each other. "Harry, Draco pick four people each of you. We'll pay for a group of people. That's usually cheaper at any rate."

"I already know who I'll be picking." Harry said. "Neville, Luna, Dean, and Seamus. They're the four most important people outside of Ron and Hermione."

Draco didn't have to think about that. "Daphne, Astoria, Blaise, and Theo. Of course, if we pay for Blaise, we'll have to pay for the triplets as well…"

Asterion rolled his eyes. "They're our allies, Draco. You needn't include the Zabini family or the Greengrass sisters as they'll likely pay for themselves when they hear what's happened. Pick three others."

Draco thought about that. There were only two others in Slytherin that he talked to. "The Katsaros triplets. Acheron, Killian, and Stryker. They're in our grade but they usually try to stay under the radar. Their dad is neutral and he doesn't like Dumbledore all that much. The only reason they haven't gone somewhere else is because they can't afford Summerset and Hogwarts is otherwise the best school."

Hermione smiled. "I have Ancient Runes with Acheron. He's very smart and quite nice as well. They'd do well in Summerset, I think."

"Then it's decided. We'll take Neville Longbottom, Luna Lovegood, Dean…Thomas, Seamus Finnegan, Theodore Nott, and the Katsaros triplets with us to Summerset." Narcissa said quietly.

"Are we sure we can pay for that many people?" Asterion asked, looking a bit confused.

Lucius nodded. "At Summerset, you can gather a group of different students and pay for their entrance together. It's usually only around five thousand Galleons for a group."

"For a year?" Harry asked, his jaw dropping slightly.

Lucius laughed. "No. It's five thousand Galleons for schooling period. We'll pay five thousand galleons for a group and that will cover you all until you decide to leave Summerset."

Hermione's face suddenly paled. "I won't be able to go there. Dumbledore named himself my magical guardian when I entered the Wizarding World. He'll oppose me going."

Arthur looked at Lucius, shaking his head. "That can be easily overturned. We'll get the appropriate paperwork and either Lucius or I will become your magical guardian. Dumbledore doesn't have a choice in the matter, your parents do."

Hermione nodded. "Good. I don't want Dumbledore as my magical guardian anymore. Not after what he's done to Harry and Professor Snape."

Severus smiled at Hermione. "I'm not a professor anymore, Hermione. You can call me Severus now."

Hermione nodded, smiling at him for the first time in Draco's memory. Though he knew that Severus had only been pretending to hate the Gryffindors, it was a bit weird to see him being nice to them. Catching Severus' eye, Draco grinned.

"I am going to go back to the Manor so that I can get an owl sent off to Joanne. Severus, would you like me to set up your usual room?" Narcissa asked, rising to her feet.

Severus nodded. "Yes please Cissa. And have a room set up near Draco for Harry as well, if you would."

Draco smiled at his mother. "The room right next to mine is open, mother. We'd have to share a bathroom but it wouldn't be too bad."

"Then Harry shall have the room beside yours if that's what he would like."

Harry nodded. "That's perfect Mrs. Malfoy. Thank you."

"Then it shall be done."

Giving them one last smile, Narcissa apparated away. Lucius stared after his wife, a fond smile on his face.

"Lucius, it's far too nice of you to pay for our children's schooling. We can't let you do it." Arthur said reluctantly, sharing a heartbroken look with his wife.

Lucius smiled, leaning forward. "What did we always say in school?"

Arthur paused, thinking. "That we'd do our best to take care of each other and our families." He admitted, looking at Molly.

"And I'm keeping that promise now. Summerset Academy may be expensive but think about how much fun Ron and Ginny will have there. Paying for their schooling won't break our bank, Arthur. The Malfoy fortune was sizable when my father was in charge. Under my leadership, however, it has grown ten times larger than it was when Father was in charge. I have more than enough money to pay for the children's schooling. I was thinking of offering to pay for Percy and the twins to spend some time there as well. There is a Wizarding Business Course there that I think they could all benefit from."

Percy nodded excitedly. "That sounds brilliant. I've always wanted to attend Summerset but I knew that mum and dad didn't have the money."

"If you'd like, I can add your name to the list. You'd have the option of taking only the business course as well as any other course that takes your interest. If we're going to be partners in business, I think it would be beneficial if you at least took the business course."

Percy nodded. "Of course I will. I would also love to take their Advanced Ancient Runes course and maybe Advanced Potions."

"We'll get you signed up, then. What do you say Fred? George?"

The twins were grinning from ear to ear. "If it'll help us better our business then we're all for it. We'd love to take a few courses at Summerset to help with that." 

"Perfect. We'll tell Joanne that you guys are on board as well, then."

"Thank you. This means a lot to us, Lucius." Molly said quietly.

"It's the very least we can do." Lucius said, his voice almost sad.

Severus looked at Lucius. "We should probably be getting back to the manor. Narcissa will be waiting."

Lucius nodded. "Come on boys. Let's get back before your mother comes to get us."

Asterion glanced at his father. "I'm going to stay and have dinner with Hermione if it's all right, Father."

"Of course it's all right." Lucius smiled at his oldest son. "You've found your mate. Spend some time with her."

Asterion grinned. "Thanks dad."

Lucius stood. "I will meet you back at the manor."

And he was gone, with just the crack of apparation. Draco, Harry, and Severus stayed a while, talking to the Weasley's, before heading back to Malfoy Manor.


End file.
